¶ is proud to present its inaugural exhibit\, Gape. Throug
h conceptual\, installation\, and performance based works\, seven artists t
ackle the subject of sexiness\, along with the assumptions and associations
around it. More than a display of erotic art\, Gape creates a dialogue aro
und the portrayal and cultivation of sexuality by exploring concepts of sex
iness and eroticism as a performance and as a commodity\, its public aspect
s as well as private\, and best of all\, the multitude of gray areas surrou
nding the issue. The ways in which people are acculturated to define\, resp
ond to and in turn perform the erotic presents a quagmire of misaligned pri
orities and dubious values. Specific aspects under scrutiny are the artific
ial borders of masculinity and femininity\, as well as the internalization
of mainstream concepts.

Jay Erker is an MFA graduate
of California Institute of the Arts. She has been included in various grou
p exhibitions in Los Angeles\, New York\, and San Francisco and is currentl
y a director at WEEKEND.

Sean C. Flaherty is a Los Angeles base
d artist who has been considering issues of identity and communication thro
ugh shared cultural experiences such as theater\, music\, and film. While
he often uses appropriated imagery\, Flaherty will also appear in his own w
ork\, using his likeness when dealing with the personal to explore family t
raditions and relationship dynamics. Video is his primary medium but he als
o works in sculpture\, photography\, and drawing. He received his BFA from
California State University Long Beach\, and his MFA from CalArts in 2012.
He is scheduled to exhibit at the Grand Central Art Center later this year
and will be part of a group exhibition this summer at the Torrance Art Mus
eum.

EJ Hill incorporates his own body (or surrogate bodies) i
nto much of his work. He examines its physical properties\, limitations\, a
nd its role in cultural signification. Recent performances and exhibitions
include Help is on the Way (for Mark Aguhar\, Trayvon Martin\, and the
rest of Us) at Monte Vista Projects (Los Angeles)\, Slow Danceat ACRE Projects (Chicago)\, and Overkill at The Mission (Chicago
). EJ earned a BFA from Columbia College Chicago and is a current MFA candi
date at UCLA.

Emily Marchand is an artist currently working and
living in Los Angeles. Her main focus encompasses ideas around aging in a
culture fixated on youth\, which she attempts to negotiate through sculptur
e and installation. A recent graduate from the Art program at UCLA\, she is
a contributor to the curatorial group ¶ (New Paragraph) as well as a found
ing member of the supper club Feed Us Fund Us which raises money towards mi
ni grants for artists.

Marissa Magdalena is a B cup. She feels m
ost at home in liminal spaces. Her work straddles a range of articulation f
rom fashion\, sculpture\, and performance to installation. She is an alumnu
s of Otis College of Art and Design and the current Artist in Residence at
Trash 4 Teaching.

Pat Patricio is currently working towards a do
uble bachelor degree in Art and Architectural Studies at UCLA. Trained as
a multimedia artist\, his current work is focused in painting and performan
ce. Me time\, is a part of series of performances entitled per
sonals is politicalsthat engage private acts forced into public contex
ts. Pat lives\, masturbates\, and works in Los Angeles.

Elyse Re
ardon–Jung is a Los Angeles bred artist. Employing primarily performance an
d video\, her work deals with the interplay between masochism and gender ro
les as an expression of the tension between personal strength and self-dest
ruction. Her work has been shown in the states and abroad with CoLab at Pla
tform LA\, the New Wight Gallery\, JAUS and she is a founding member of the
curatorial group ¶. She is a recent graduate of the University of Californ
ia at Los Angeles.

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¶ (New Paragraph) is a curatorial collective helmed by artists Emily Marc
hand\, Elyse Reardon-Jung\, Eric Vrymoed\, and Sam Widaman. As artists work
ing in the Los Angeles area\, they feed on the vibrant culture and conversa
tions surrounding the art world. Yet frequently the artistic community can
seem small and suffocating\, overly fixated on parsing out trivia that can
stymie the free exchange of ideas. That is why ¶ has hit the return key! Ra
ther than drop the conversation altogether\, they seek to introduce familia
r concepts in a new light\, by showing new work from emerging artists\, on
subjects that are as relevant as they are entertaining.